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Neighbours of Biblical IsraelThis appendix contains essays on the chief nations of the Biblical world. Much of the information appearing herein can be found in the main body of this work. The material from biographies spread throughout this book has been collected here in order to give a unified understanding of Israel's relationship with its neighbours. אֱדוֹם is a land in the south, on the eastern side of the Jordan River extending southward from the Dead Sea. The people of אדום are believed to be descendants of עשו (בראשית לו :א ), and hence are considered cousins of Israel. The region is also called שֵׂעִיר (בראשית לב :ד ), after the original inhabitants of the land. The genealogies of בראשית לו first list the descendants of עשו , and then those of שעיר , and it appears that these two populations combine following the invasion of עשו 's people. When בני ישראל attempt to pass through אדום 's land on their way to ארץ ישראל they are rebuffed. Israel turns away when אדום threatens them with war (במדבר כ :יד -כא ). Indeed in משה 's review of the desert history, he states that God forbade a military encounter with אדום , arguing that Israel will not conquer the land God has granted to the descendants of עשו (דברים ב :ב -ז ). The Torah declares that people from אדום may marry into the nation of Israel following a waiting period (דברים כג :ח -ט ). אדום is listed as one of the states defeated by שאול (שמואל א יד :מז ), as well as דוד , who conquers it (שמואל ב ח :יג -יד ,דברי הימים א יח :יב -יג ,תהלים ס :ב ). During דוד and יואב 's battles against אדום , a king of the land, הֲדַד הָאֲדֹמִי flees to Egypt. God later sends הדד to harass שלמה as punishment for his idolatry (מלכים א יא :יד -כב ). שלמה המלך marries women from אדום and other foreign nations, and these lead him astray (מלכים א יא :א -ה ). יהודה 's fourth king, יהושפט , also seems to have conquered אדום (מלכים א כב :מח ). When מואב rebels against Israel, King יהורם persuades יהושפט to join him in war against מואב , and אדום joins this alliance (מלכים ב ג ). During the reign of יהושפט 's son יהורם , אדום temporarily breaks free of יהודה 's rule (מלכים ב ח :כ -כב ). אמציה (יהודה 's ninth sovereign) brutally conquers אדום once again (מלכים ב יד :ז ,דברי הימים ב כה :יא -יב ). אדום is accused of participating in נבוכדנאצר 's destruction of ירושלים (תהלים קלז :ז ,איכה ד :כא -כב ). All of ספר עבדיה is devoted to predictng the downfall of עשו 's descendants. Because אדום rejoiced in the conquest of ירושלים , joined in looting the city, and cut off the escaping Israelites, the nation is doomed to destruction. Other prophets speak of the defeat of אדום : ישעיהו in chapter 21, ירמיהו in 25:21 and 49:7-22, יחזקאל in 25:12-14 and chapter 35, and עמוס in 1:11-12. A confidant of King שאול , דאג האדמי (שמואל א כא -כב ) may be a convert from this nation or may have merely lived in אדום . In Rabbinic literature the names עשו and אדום are sometimes used as synonyms for Rome: מכות יב ., אסתר רבה ג , פירוש הרמב "ן לבראשית כח :יב , תלמוד ירושלמי מסכת תענית פרק ד דף סח טור ד : ויאמר רבי יהודה בי רבי אלעאי ברוך רבי היה דורש "הקול קול יעקב והידים ידי עשו ", קולו של יעקב צווח ממה שעשו לו ידיו של עשו בביתר . אֱמֹרִי Descendants of כנען , the אמרי are people living in Israel whose land is promised to אברהם during בְּרִית בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים (בראשית טו :כא ). משה too, is told by God at the start of his mission that He will bring Israel to the land currently occupied by the אמרי (שמות ג :ח ), promising to drive these people out to make room for בני ישראל (שמות לג :ב ,לד :יא ,דברים ז :א ). יהושע fights and defeats the אמרי (יהושע יב :ח ). Although the אמרי are identified as a distinct people on the lists of nations in ארץ ישראל , it seems that the name אמרי is sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to all the inhabitants of the land. For example during ברית בין הבתרים , God tells אברהם that the time is not yet ripe for his descendants to inherit the land כִּי לֹא שָׁלֵם עֲוֹן הָאֱמֹרִי עַד הֵנָּה - for the sins of the Amorites is not yet complete. Five verses later, God lists the nations Israel will encounter upon her entry, and the אמרי are one among many (בראשית טו :טז -כא ). The first usage of the term is possibly general and the second one specific. In its more inclusive sense, אמרי seems to be synonymous with כנעני . אברהם 's ally מַמְרֵא is an אמרי . יעקב claims to have taken land from the אמרי by force (בראשית מח :כב ). The אמרי dwell on both sides of the Jordan River and early in national history, Israel engages and defeats an אמרי king - סִיחוֹן who rules the city of חֶשׁבוֹן . On בני ישראל 's way to their homeland they pass through אמרי land. משה asks סיחן for free passage through his territory. סיחן refuses and a war ensues which Israel wins soundly, capturing אמרי lands (במדבר כא :כא -לא ). Israel then fights another אמרי king – עוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן . After seeing בני ישראל 's defeat of סִיחוֹן , עוג attacks the Hebrews. משה and the nation defeat עוג with God's help and Israel takes his land (במדבר כא :לג -לה ). (It should be mentioned that עוג 's nationality is not entirely clear. דברים ד :מז supports the idea that he is an אמרי as does יהושע ב :י . Nevertheless, בשן might be a different nation or a separate group within the אמרי . תהלים קלו :יט -כ distinguishes between סיחון who is an אמרי king, and עוג who is king of בשן . In דברים ג :יא , עוג is linked to the רפאים - see below.) יהושע fights the אמרי as בני ישראל conquer and settle the land. At one point he battles an alliance of אמרי states. Five אמרי kings band together to fight the גבעונים , as punishment for the pact they signed with Israel. The גבעונים beseech their allies for assistance, and יהושע responds by defeating the five armies (יהושע י ). The rabbis of the Talmud warn Israel not to emulate the superstitious practices of non-Jews, calling such behaviour "דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמוֹרִי " - the ways of the Amorites (שבת סז .). It is likely that the name is used here in its broad sense, since the verse usually cited to support this idea (ויקרא יח :ג ) cautions against the practices of "ארץ כנען " - the inhabitants of Canaan. אֲרַם 's territory lies to the north west of Israel, in what is today Syria. ארם is listed as a grandson of נח (בראשית י :כב ). The family of אַבְרָהָם has close ties to citizens of ארם . בְּתוּאֵל בֶּן נָחוֹר , who lives in ארם , is: (a) אברהם 's nephew, (b) the father of יִצְחָק 's wife רִבְקָה , and (c) grandfather of יַעֲקֹב 's wives, רָחֵל and לֵאָה . רבקה 's brother and יעקב 's father-in-law is sometimes called לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי (בראשית כה :כ ,לא :כ ). This is perhaps why some commentaries interpret the phrase "אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי " in דברים כו :ה , as referring to לבן 's plan to attack יעקב when he flees. ארם is perhaps the Jewish states' most persistent foe. The first conflict between Israel and Aram appears in ספר שופטים , when God uses ארם to punish the Hebrews for their idolatry. כּוּשַׁן רִשְׁעָתַיִם , the king of אֲרַם נַהֲרָיִם oppresses Israel for eight years, until he is overthrown by עָתְנִיאֵל בֶּן קְנַז (שופטים ג :ה -יא ). דוד fights and defeats three Aramean states: דַּמֶּשֶׂק , צוֹבָה led by הֲדַדְעֶזֶר בֶּן רְחֹב (שמואל ב ח ,י ) and אֲרַם בֵּית רְחוֹב (שמואל ב י ), after which ארם submits to דוד 's rule. During a war with אסא , the third king of יהודה , בעשא , the third king of Israel, attempts to build a fortress at רמה . אסא successfully distracts בעאש by persuading בֶּן הֲדַד בֶּן טַבְרִמֹּן בֶּן חֶזְיוֹן , the king of ארם , to attack. אסא then dismantles the fortress (מלכים א טו :טז -כא ). The next Aramean king, named בן הדד , fights and loses several wars to King אַחְאָב (Israel's 7th king). Nevertheless, אחאב has pity on him and spares his life (מלכים א כ ). אחאב 's next meeting with ארם is his last act. Although אחאב disguises himself before the battle, he is detected and shot with an arrow (מלכים א כב ). The prophet אלישע cures a general of ארם named נַעֲמָן (מלכים ב ה ). The king of ארם later tries to abduct אלישע , believing that the prophet is foiling his military plans. Instead, אלישע captures the invading force. He strikes them with blindness, but then sends them home (מלכים ב ו ). בן הדד lays siege to שמרון during the reign of יהורם (the 9th king of Israel), causing a devastating famine. God creates a tremendous sound of chariots, and the Aramean army flees, fearing that Israel has hired forces from the חִתִּים and מִצְרַיִם . בן הדד 's abandoned camp is discovered by four lepers who loot the place, and then inform יהורם of Aram's retreat (מלכים ב ו -ז ). God tells אליהו הנביא to annoint חֲזָאֵל king of ארם in place of בן הדד (מלכים א יט :טו ), but it is in fact אלישע who fulfills this task (מלכים ב ח :ז -טו ). אלישע also predicts that חזאל (the third known Aramean king to interact with Israel) will bring disaster to Israel. Still, at the start of his prophecy, עמוס announces that the house of חזאל will be burned down (עמוסא :ד ). In a battle against the combined armies of יהודה , led by אחזיהו בן יהורם (king number 6), and ישראל , led by יורם בן אחאב (king number 9), חזאל 's forces wound יורם (מלכים ב ח :כח -כט ). חזאל takes land from the גלעד region during the reign of יהוא (king number 10 of Israel). He first captures גת from the פלשתים , before marching on ירושלים . The king of יהודה at that time, יהואש (number 8), bribes חזאל with gold and treasures from the Temple and the royal treasury (מלכיםב יב :יח -יט ). יהואחז בן יהוא (Israel's 11th king) continues the calf worship established by his predecessor ירבעם , which angers God. As punishment, Israel is defeated by חזאל and בן הדד בן חזאל . Still, after יהואחז cries to God for salvation, He removes the Aramean threat (מלכים ב יג :א -ה ). King יואש (יהודה 's 8th ruler) is summoned to the prophet אלישע as the latter lies dying. אלישע instructs יואש to shoot an arrow out of the window- symbolic of יואש 's impending victory against ארם . יואש is then told to hit the ground with his arrows. The king strikes the ground three times which displeases אלישע . He explains that had יואש hit the ground five or six times, his resolve would have led to total victory over ארם . But his lack of confidence shows that he will only best them three times (מלכים ב יג :יד -כד ). רְצִין is the fifth monarch of ארם in Biblical history, succeeding the third בן הדד . He forges an alliance with Israel's king פקח (number 18), in a plan to conquer יהודה and replace its King אחז (יהודה 's 12th king) with a governor named בֶּן טָבְאַל . The prophet ישיעהו appears to אחז , and pleads with him to remain calm, promising that ארם and ישראל will fail in their bid to conquer יהודה (ישעיה ז ). Indeed, אחז withstands the siege against ירושלים . (רצין however does take אֵילַת from יהודה .) אחז then appeals to תִּגְלַת פִּלְאֶסֶר king of אשור to rescue him from his two enemies, which the Assyrian does by attacking דַּמֶּשֶׂק and killing רְצִין (מלכים ב טז :ה -ט ). This marks one of the final encounters between ארם and the Jews, for ארם is soon conquered by a more powerful people from the north, אשור . ארם is recorded as battling at least eleven Jewish leaders over a span of several hundred years. In their messages regarding foreign states, the prophets mention ארם as well: ישעיהו in chapter 17 and ירמיהו in chapter 49. אַשּׁוּר This powerful state from the north-east is a dominant force which destroys the Kingdom of Israel. אשור briefly threatens יהודה as well, before it is eclipsed by בבל . The first encounter between Assyria and the Jewish states occurs during the reign of מנחם בן גדי , the 16th king of Israel. פּוּל , the king of אשור threatens to invade Israel but מנחם pays him off with a tribute of a thousand talents of silver (מלכים ב טו :יט -כ ). The expansionist dreams of אשור are further realized under King תִּגְלַת פִּלְאֶסֶר . He conquers parts of גלעד and גליל (under the Israelite rule of פקח בן רמליהו ), and drives the people of שבט נפתלי to אשור (מלכים ב טו :כט ). The Judean king אחז (יהודה 's twelfth monarch) tries to cultivate an alliance with תגלת פלאסר in his conflict with פקח and King רצין of ארם . Ignoring the advice of the prophet ישעיהו , who insists that פקח and רצין will not harm him (ישעיה ז :ג -ט ), אחז contacts תגלת פלאסר . אחז persuades him to attack ארם , an invasion which ends in the death of רצין (מלכים ב טז :ז -ט ). אחז then visits his new patron, and is so impressed by the altar he sees in דמשק , that he builds one like it at home (מלכים ב טז :י -טז ). שַׁלְמַנְאֶסֶר is the next Assyrian king, who brings catastrophe to Israel. הוֹשֵׁעַ בֶּן אֵלָה , Israel's 19th and last king, is forced to become a vassal of אשור , and bribes שלמנאסר in order to keep him at a distance. But at a certain point הושע rebels: he stops paying his tribute, and tries to forge an alliance with Egypt's king סוֹא . שלמנאסר imprisons הושע and besieges שמרון for three years. He then conquers the land, and exiles the people to אשור , bringing the kingdom of Israel to an end (מלכים ב יז ). סַרְגּוֹן , another king of אשור , sends a military commander to capture אשדוד (ישעיה כ :א ). חזקיהו , the thirteenth king of יהודה is threatened by סַנְחֵרִיב , and agrees to pay a huge tribute to the invader which includes the gold doors of the בית המקדש . סנחריב attacks anyway, and captures all of יהודה 's fortified towns, occupying לכיש . The Assyrian king sends an army led by רְַבשָׁקֵה to ירושלים to call for the capital's surrender. חזקיה sends three of his officers to hear רבשקה 's speech and the three return, dismayed and in torn clothes. חזקיה sends these same aides to the prophet ישעיהו , who encourages them: God will chase the enemy back to his homeland, where he will be defeated. Upon receiving another threat of doom from סנחריב , חזקיהו enters the בית המקדש , spreads סנחריב 's letters on the floor, and prays to God for salvation. ישעיהו stresses again that all will be well. Indeed, that night God strikes the army of סנחריב , killing 185,000 soldiers. סנחריב flees back to נינוה where he is assassinated by two of his sons (מלכים ב יח -יט ). The messages of two minor prophets are devoted exclusively to the city of נִינְוֵה . God sends יוֹנָה on a mission to the Assyrian capital, to warn its people that He will soon destroy them for their sinful behaviour. יונה 's message is accepted, and widespread repentance leads God to revoke His plan (יונה ). The prophet נַחוּם is eager for the downfall of the city. In three chapters, the prophet joyfully describes the fate awaiting Israel's great enemy. Other prophets who discuss the future of אשור are ישעיהו (ישעיה יז ), ירמיהו (ירמיה מט :כג -כז ), עמוס (א :ב -ה ) and צפניה (ב :יג -טו ). בָּבֶל The state of בבל has the distinction of appearing as the first nation in the תורה ; its story is told in בראשית יא . The citizens of the ancient world attempt to build a city and a tower, but are thwarted by God who scatters the people across the land. The Babylonians are not heard from again until their rise to world domination, during which time they conquer יהודה and destroy the בית המקדש . The empire of בבל is established at the expense of אשור , which disappears as a significant force. נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל (also called נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר ) begins his conquest over יהודה by subjugating King יהויקים (Judah's 18th king). This arrangement lasts for three years, at which point the Judean king rebels. נבכדנאצר besieges ירושלים during the 8th year of his reign. By that time, יהויכין is king of יהודה . He surrenders to נבכדנאצר and is imprisoned. נבכדנאצר loots the city and the Temple, exiles some Judeans to בבל , and places יהויכין 's uncle (whom he renames צדקיהו ) on the throne. צדקיהו rebels against נבוכדנאצר , prompting the Babylonian to march on ירושלים for the second time in two years. During this traumatic period, צדקיהו begs the prophet ירמיהו to pray on behalf of the city, but ירמיהו predicts that נבוכדנאצר will conquer ירושלים and capture צקדיהו . The prophecies of ירמיהו contain many statements of נבוכדנאצר 's impending success against ירושלים (two such examples appear in ירמיה כא :ז and כה :ט ). The siege of ירושלים lasts for over a year, whereupon the walls are breached and the city is invaded. צדקיהו flees, but is captured near יריחו and is exiled to בבל . נבוכדנאצר sends his general נבוזראדן to burn the בית המקדש and the city. נבוכדנאצר exiles the population of יהודה to בבל , and installs גדליהו בן אחיקם as governor over Judea's remaining Jews (מלכים ב כד -כה ). Back in בבל , נבוכדנאצר has troubling dreams which דניאל interprets for him (דניאל ב ,ד ). יהודה 's King יהויכין spends 37 years imprisoned in בבל , but is eventually released by King אֱוִיל מְרֹדַךְ (מלכים ב כה :כז -ל ). Another בבלי king, בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר , receives a message from God written on a banquet hall wall. This too is interpreted by דניאל (דניאל ה ). King כורש of פרס conquers בבל , a development which facilitates the Jews' return to their land. Naturally, the prophets of Israel pray for the punishment of בבל for the destruction this state wrought on the Jews: ישעיהו raises this hope in chapters 13 and 14 of his book, and ירמיהו in 25:12-14 and chapters 50-51 of his. גִּבְעֹנִים This small nation, part of the חִוִּי , tricks יהושע into believing that they are not כנענים , and יהושע strikes a covenant with them. When the ruse is exposed, יהושע enslaves these residents of כנען as "hewers of wood and drawers of water" (יהושע ט ). Five Canaanite states attack גבעון for making peace with Israel. The גבעונים call on their new allies for assistance, and יהושע arrives and defeats the five. During this battle, יהושע asks God to delay the setting of the sun to provide enough sunlight for a total victory. God complies, and holds the sun in the afternoon sky (יהושע י ). During a famine דוד asks God to explain the reason for the nation's suffering. God states that Israel is being punished for שאול 's murder of גבעונים , an episode missing from שמואל א . To placate the גבעונים , דוד asks them to name their price for forgiving Israel. The גבעונים demand that דוד hand over seven of שאול 's descendants for execution, and דוד agrees (שמואל ב כא ). Descendants of the גבענים are called נְתִינִים , perhaps due to the fact that these people were "given" in servitude to Israel וַיִּתְּנֵם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא חֹטְבֵי עֵצִים וְשֹׁאֲבֵי מַיִם לָעֵדָה וּלְמִזְבַּח - that day יהושע gave them as hewers of wood and drawers of water for the community and for the altar of the Lord (יהושע ט :כז ). נתינים are listed among the people who return from בבל with זרבבל (עזרא ב :מג -מח ,נחמיה ז :מו -ס ), and it seems from the juxtaposition of their names with the כהנים and the לוים , that they are in some way associated with the Temple service. Indeed, in an echo of the verse just quoted, דוד is also said to have assigned the נתינים to service under the לוים (עזרא ח :כ ). In Rabbinic literature the נתינים are considered a class of people ineligible to marry into the nation of Israel (משנה יבמות עח :). The Gemara explains that their obduracy in the episode of דוד 's famine, revealed an inherent absence of compassion in this people. As such, they cannot join Israel, for whom kindness is a supreme value (יבמות עט .). גִּרְגָּשִׁי A nation living in כנען , whose land is promised to אברהם during בְּרִית בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים (בראשית טו :כא ). The גרגשי are on the list of seven nations whom Israel is commanded to vanquish upon the conquest of their land (דברים ז :א -ב ). In his farewell address, יהושע recalls having fought and defeated the גרגשי (יהושע כד :יא ). זוּזִים and זַמְזֻמִּים - see רְפָאִים גֵּרֵי אֲרָיוֹת is a group of peoples comprising refugees from different places in ארם and בבל : אַנְשֵׁי חֲמָת , אַנְשֵׁי כּוּת , סְפַרְוִים , עַוִּים , and others known simply as אַנְשֵׁי בָבֶל . These peoples are brought to שמרון by שלמנאסר , after he exiles Israel to אשור . They are subsequently attacked by lions, and understand that they have upset God by not behaving properly in His land. They complain to the king of אשור , who provides them with a כהן to instruct them in the Jewish way of sacrificial worship. The people are thereafter known as גֵּרֵי אֲרָיוֹת (lion-converts), although they maintain some of their original beliefs and continue to worship their gods: אנשי בבל serve סֻכּוֹת בְּנוֹת and אנשי כות serve נֵרְגַל . אנשי חמת worship אֲשִׁימָא , the עוים believe in נִבְחַז and תַּרְתָּק , and the ספרוים burn their children in honour of אַדְרַמֶּלֶךְ and עֲנַמֶּלֶךְ (מלכים ב יז :כד -מא ). These peoples are also known as כּוּתִים (after the locale כּוּת ) (חולין ג :,קידושין עה :), and as שֹׁמְרֹונִים based on מלכים ב יז : כט . חִוִּי A nation living in כנען who are dispossesed upon the arrival of Israel. God tells משה at the start of his mission that He will bring Israel to the land currently occupied by the חוי (שמות ג :ח ), promising to drive them out to make room for בני ישראל (שמות לג :ב ,לד :יא ). The חוי are on the list of seven nations whom Israel is commanded to vanquish upon the conquest of their land (דברים ז :א -ב ). The text reports that יהושע fights and defeats the חוי (יהושע יא :ג ,יב :ח ). People from גבעון , a חוי city, deceive יהושע into forming a pact with them (see above). Remnants of the חוי are subjugated by שלמה (מלכים א ט :כ -כא ). עשו 's wife אָהֳלִיבָמָה is from this nation, and שכם בן חמור who assaults דינה , is from this people as well (בראשית לד ). חִתִּי A nation living in כנען , whose land is promised to אברהם during בְּרִית בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים (בראשית טו :כ ). אברהם has amicable relations with at least one חתי - עֶפְרוֹן , from whom he buys the burial plot known as מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה (בראשית כג ). אברהם 's grandson, עשו marries three women from the חתי : יהודית בת בארי , בשמת בת אילן and עדה בת אילון . משה too, is told by God at the start of his mission that He will bring Israel to the land currently occupied by the חתי (שמות ג :ח ) promising to drive them out to make room for בני ישראל (שמות לג :ב ,לד :יא ). The חתי are on the list of seven nations whom Israel is commanded to vanquish upon the conquest of their land (דברים ז :א -ב ). The text reports that יהושע fights and defeats the חתי (יהושע יא :ג ,יב :ח ). אוּרִיָּה הַחִתִּי , first husband of בת שבע , may have been a convert from the חתי , as might אֲחִימֶלֶךְ הַחִתִּי , a soldier of דוד . שלמה המלך marries women from the חתי and other foreign nations, who lead him astray (מלכים א יא :א -ה ). Remnants of the חתי are subjugated by שלמה (מלכים א ט :כ -כא ). יְבוּסִי A nation living in כנען , whose land is promised to אברהם during בְּרִית בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים (בראשית טו :כא ). משה too, is told by God at the start of his mission that He will bring Israel to the land currently occupied by the יבוסי (שמות ג :ח ), promising to drive them out to make room for בני ישראל (שמות לג :ב ,לד :יא ). The יבוסי are on the list of seven nations whom Israel is commanded to vanquish upon the conquest of their land, usually appearing at the end of those lists (דברים ז :א -ב ). The text reports that יהושע fights and defeats the יבוסי (יהושע יא :יג ,יב :ח ). These people tenaciously hold ירושלים (יהושע טו :סג ), before דוד is able to capture it and make it the Israel's capital city (שמואל ב ה :ו -ט ,דברי הימים א יא :ד -ח ). דוד later purchases a threshing floor in ירושלים from אֲרַוְנָה הַיְבֻסִי , upon which he builds an altar (שמואל ב כד :טז -כה ). שלמה constructs the בית המקדש on this site (דברי הימים ב ג :א ). Remnants of the יבוסי are subjugated by שלמה (מלכים א ט :כ -כא ). כְּנַעֲנִי A nation living in כנען , whose land is promised to אברהם during בְּרִית בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים (בראשית טו :כא ). משה too, is told by God at the start of his mission that He will bring Israel to the land currently occupied by the כנעני (שמות ג :ח ), promising to drive them out to make room for בני ישראל (שמות לג :ב ,לד :יא ). The כנעני are on the list of seven nations whom Israel is commanded to vanquish upon the conquest of their land (דברים ז :א -ב ). The text reports that יהושע fights and defeats the כנעני (יהושע יא :ג ,יב :ח ), as does שבט יהודה after יהושע dies (שופטים א :ד -ה ). Although the כנעני seem to be a distinct people, the term כנען is sometimes used to refer to the entire land of Israel west of the Jordan River (במדבר לג :נא ,לד :א -יב ,יהושע כב :יא -יב ). This means that all the nations living in כנען , such as the חתי and the חוי , are technically also כנעני . This is similar to the way that the name אמרי has two usages. The people named כנעני descend from the individual with that name, a grandson of נח . A king of כנען , named יָבִין , subjugates Israel for 20 years. יבין 's general, סִיסְרָא , loses a major battle to Israelite forces led by ברק בן אבינעם and the prophetess דבורה . This causes the disintegration of יבין 's kingdom (שופטים ד -ה ). כַּשְׂדִּים The כשדים (called Chaldeans in English) are allied with בבל during the latter's campaign against ירושלים . They are perhaps a class within בבלי society. יחזקאל distinguishes between two separate groups who will attack Israel for her infidelity (יחזקאל כג :כג ); but elsewhere בבל is called the "land of the כשדים " (ירמיה כה :יב ,נ :א ). נבוכדנאצר himself is referred to as the king of בבל and a כַּסְדָּאָה (a Chaldean) (עזרא ה :יב ). The כשדים assist in the destruction of the city, and in the capture of צדקיהו , the Judean king. כשדים also participate in the looting of the בית המקדש (מלכים ב כה ). The name כשדים appears several times in בראשית . אברהם 's family leaves for כנען from אוּר כַּשְׂדִּים (בראשית יא :כח ) אברהם also has a nephew by the name of כֶּשֶׂד (בראשית כב :כב ). כשדים contribute to איוב 's misery by attacking his camel flocks and killing the herders (איוב א :יז ). When גדליהו is installed as governor of יהודה , his base at מצפה is partially populated by כשדים , some of whom are killed by ישמעאל בן נתניה when he kills גדליהו (ירמיה מא ). ירמיהו curses the כשדים for their role in bringing Jewish statehood to an end (25:12-14, 50-51). מָדַי A nation to the north-east of Israel whose descendants are named after מדי בן יפת , a grandson of נח . מדי enters Israel's history as part of the Persian empire. Israel's prophets are convinced that the power of מדי will be sufficient to overthrow בבל (ישעיה יג :יז ,ירמיה נא :יא -יד ). דניאל warns King בלשאצר of בבל that the merging of two nations will spell his end. When mysterious writing appears on a wall, דניאל explains that the words מְנֵא מְנֵא תְּקֵל וּפַרְסִין predict the end of the king's reign, and the rise of מָדַי and פָּרַס (דניאל ה ). A vision recorded in chapter 8 of ספר דניאל describes the eventual clash between Greece and מדי ופרס . מִדְיָן The people who form this nation are descendants of מדין , אברהם 's son. After שרה dies אברהם marries a woman named קטורה who gives him six sons (בראשית כה :א -ו ). The name מדין next appears during the episode of יוסף 's abduction and sale - some passing מדינים take possession of יוסף , and sell him to פוטיפר in Egypt (בראשית לז :כח ,לו ). A connection between Israel and מדין is formed when the Hebrews' emerging leader weds the daughter of מדין 's high priest. After he kills an Egyptian taskmaster, משה escapes to the land of מדין , where he is taken in by יִתְרוֹ . משה eventually marries יתרו 's daughter, צִפֹּרָה (שמות ב :יא -כא ). This relationship, however, does not prevent יתרו 's compatriots from trying to stop Israel's march through the desert. Elders of מדין join leaders of מואב , and hire בלעם to curse בני ישראל (במדבר כב :ב -ז ). The women of both nations seduce Israelite men and persuade them to practice idolatry at בַּעַל פְּעוֹר . God punishes Israel with a plague, which is stayed when פינחס kills one of the leaders of the orgy, זִמְרִי בֶּן סָלוּא . This chief of שבט שמעון has relations in public with כָּזְבִּי , a Midianite princess. פינחס kills them both (במדבר כה ). In a war of revenge against מדין , Israel kills בלעם and five kings of מדין . The army incurs משה 's wrath, however, by sparing the women of מדין (במדבר לא ). Israel again encounters this nation in the period of the שופטים . God sends מדין to oppress Israel as punishment for their sins. They subjugate Israel for seven years, raiding the land and stealing the Jews' produce. Israel cries to God who sends גִּדְעוֹן to lead a successful rebellion against מדין (שופטים ו -ז ). מוֹאָב This Transjordanian nation is situated to the east of the Dead Sea, south of עמון and north of אדום . According to a description in בראשית יט , this nation is founded by מואב , the son of לוט and an unnamed daughter of his. Since the Moabites are descended from אברהם 's nephew, God allows them to keep their land, forbidding Israel from conquering it (דברים ב :ט ). מואב on the other hand is not equally considerate to their Israelite cousins, and when the Hebrews pass מואב territory on their desert march, מואב will not provide them with bread and water. This lack of hospitality is the cause of a ban on converts from x מואב (דברים כג :ד -ז . The משנה and גמרא on יבמות עו : discuss the difference between the Torah's rejection of males from מואב , but the acceptance of females. The Gemara explains why רות who is a convert from מואב is allowed to marry בועז .) Another unkindness of מואב is told in detail in במדבר כב - כד . There the תורה relates the attempts of בָּלָק בֶּן צִפּוֹר to hire בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר to curse Israel. God foils בלק 's plan by turning בלעם 's taunts into blessings. Moabite and Midianite women seduce Israelite men and persuade them to worship their local god – בַּעַל פְּעוֹר . God punishes Israel with a plague which is stayed when פינחס kills one of the leaders of the orgy, זִמְרִי בֶּן סָלוּא (במדבר כה ). Early in the period of the שופטים , Israel is oppressed by עֶגְלוֹן a king of מואב . עגלון subjugates Israel for 18 years. Finally, God sends אֵהוּד בֶּן גֵּרָא to assassinate עגלון , and lead Israel in a revolt against מואב . In the ensuing battle 10,000 Moabites are killed (שופטים ג :יב -ל ). During a famine, אלימלך and נעמי emigrate to מואב and it is there that רות is brought into the nation of Israel (רות א ). Perhaps this connection to מואב , leads דוד (רות 's descendant) to choose that land as a refuge for his parents when the family is threatened by שאול (שמואל א כ :ג -ה ). דוד nevertheless does battle with מואב later (שמואל ב ח :ב , דברי הימים א יח :ב ). שלמה המלך marries women from מואב and other foreign nations, and these lead him astray (מלכים א יא :א -ה ). מואב is subjugated to אחאב , seventh king of Israel (מלכים ב א :א ), but following his death, the country attempts to free itself from Israel's rule. מֵישַׁע , king of מואב rebels against יהורם בן אחאב who enlists the assistance of יהודה 's King יהושפט . Together, they attack מואב from the south. God performs a miracle during this campaign, which has two purposes: the appearance of water in a parched land saves the thirsty Jewish armies; the מואב leader misinterprets the sight of the liquid, and attacks prematurely. מישע is defeated by the allies (מלכים ב ג ). Although bands of marauding Moabites periodically invade Israelite land (מלכים ב יג :כ ,כד :ב -ד ), the nation never again really poses a serious threat. Jewish prophets who speak about מואב include: ישעיהו (chapters 15-16), ירמיהו (25:21, 48), יחזקאל (25:8-11), עמוס (2:1-3), and צפניה (2:8-11). מִצְרַיִם The nation of Egypt plays a dominant role in the history and consciousness of Israel. The slavery in Egypt and the exodus from that country at the hand of God, represent the formative period of nationhood for the Jews. מצרים is given as a personal name to נח 's grandson. Israel's connection to the land of Egypt begins in the patriarchal period. אברהם arrives in the land of כנען at God's request, but the country is soon racked with a famine. He journeys to Egypt, where his wife is temporarily abducted by פרעה (בראשית יב ). God tells the founder of Judaism that his descendants will be oppressed in a foreign land, but does not specify that Egypt will enslave and torture the people (בראשית טו :יג ). Israel's ordeal in Egypt begins in chapter 37 of ספר בראשית , when יוסף is sold by his brothers. He ends up a servant in the house of פוטיפר , a minister of פרעה . After he assists פרעה by interpreting his dreams, יוסף rises to power to become prime minister of Egypt. Thanks to יוסף 's wisdom and administrative skills, מצרים collects and stores food during years of plenty, and is thus prepared to weather the subsequent seven years of famine. Since the lack of food extends to כנען as well, יעקב and his family are forced to relocate to Egypt (בראשית מ -נ ). The enslavement of the Jews begins when a new ruler determines that the burgeoning Israelite nation poses a threat to the native population. פרעה sets the Hebrews to work building two cities - פִּתֹם and רַעַמְסֵס , and takes measures to curtail the growth of the people (שמות א ). God sends משה to Egypt to plead with פרעה for Israel's release from bondage. (At this point the פרעה who instigated the slavery is dead, and a new Egyptian ruler occupies the throne.) פרעה admits no knowledge of God, refuses to consider משה 's request, and increases the Hebrews' workload (שמות ה ). After a series of ten plagues which devastate the land and her people, פרעה agrees to let Israel go (שמות ו -יב ). Israel leaves Egypt after 210 years of servitude (see שמות יב :מ and רש "י 's explanation there) on the 15th of the month of ניסן , a day celebrated as the פסח holiday ever since. פרעה soon regrets his decision, and promptly sends his cavalry to pursue Israel. God strikes Egypt one last time, as He closes the sea upon the Egyptian army (שמות יד ). No national event has held such importance for the Jews as their rescue from Egypt, and numerous references are made to the experience in custom and practice. For example, the third paragraph of שמע , read twice daily, connects the exodus to observance of the Torah's laws: במדבר טו : מ -מא לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹתָי וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים לֵאלֹקֵיכֶם : אֲנִי ה ' אֱלֹקֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לִהְיוֹת לָכֶם לֵאלֹקִים אֲנִי ה ' אֱלֹקֵיכֶם : [Through the צִיצִת ] you will be reminded to observe all of My commandments and to be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I, the Lord your God. The Torah recalls the suffering in Egypt to elicit empathy in the Jews for the disadvantaged, reminding Israel time and again to remember what it was like to be at the mercy of another (שמות כג :ט ,ויקרא יט :לג -לד ,דברים כד :יז -יח ). Jewish kings are cautioned not to accumulate horses, lest they send their compatriots to Egypt to procure them (דברים יז :טז ). This injunction is understood as a prohibition for Jews to settle in the land of Egypt (סוכה נא : and ספר החינוך מצוה תק ). The Torah does permit converts from Egypt (following a waiting period), and provides a remarkable rationale for this allowance. Jews are not to abhor Egyptians for the Hebrews were strangers in their land (דברים כג :ח -ט ). רש "י explains that despite the pain that the Egyptians caused, they did extend hospitality to the Jews during the famine. Although the Jews constantly praise God's grace in saving them, and marvel at the wonders He performed during that redemption, Israel hopes for a day when the exodus from Egypt will be overshadowed by an even greater salvation from exile (ירמיה כג :ז -ח and ברכות יב :). מצרים is involved periodically in later Biblical history. שלמה marries a daughter of Egypt's king in order to ally himself to that nation (מלכים א ג :א ). King שישק of Egypt provides asylum to ירבעם when he escapes from שלמה (מלכים א יא :מ ). This same king later invades יהודה , and robs the royal and religious treasuries during the reign of רחבעם (מלכים א יד :כה -כח ). King סוֹא of Egypt is indirectly connected to אשור 's conquest and disintegration of Israel. King הושע (Israel's 19th king) is a vassal of אשור , but he attempts to break free from שלמנאסר 's grip by forging ties with Egypt. The king of אשור discovers this and invades שמרון , exiling the population and dismantling the state of Israel (מלכים ב יז :א -ו ). During the reign of יאשיהו (16th king of יהודה ), פַּרְעֹה נְכֹה of Egypt marches up the coast of Israel, to meet יהודה 's army in battle at מְגִדּוֹ . The Judean king is killed. פרעה נכה imprisons יאשיהו 's son and successor, יהואחז , in Egypt, and imposes a tribute on יהודה . He then installs יהואחז 's brother אליקים on יהודה 's throne (מלכים ב כג :כט -לה ). The Egyptian king is eventually defeated by נבוכדראצר (ירמיה מו :ב ). The prophets warn their kings not to depend on Egypt to rescue them from their enemies. When חזקיהו בן אחז (יהודה 's 13th king) is threatened by אשור , ישעיהו tries to convince him believe solely in God (ישעיה לא :א -ג ). ישעיהו demonstrates his objection to reliance on Egypt by living naked and barefoot for three years, behaviour meant to symbolize the ultimate fall of Egypt (ישעיה כ ). Before the conquest of ירושלים , ירמיהו similarly tries to persuade צדקיהו (יהודה 's last king) that Egypt cannot protect יהודה from the power of בבל (ירמיה ב :לו ,לז :ז ). Following גדליהו 's assassination, ירמיהו advises the remaining Judeans to stay put rather than flee to מצרים . The people ignore this advice and set off for Egypt, taking ירמיהו with them. On the border of Egypt, ירמיהו repeats his prediction that the refugees will only find trouble in Egypt, as נבוכדראצר will conquer that land too (ירמיה מג ). The three major prophets predict the future downfall of Egypt: ישעיהו in chapters 19 and 20, ירמיהו in 25:19 and chapter 46, and יחזקאל in chapters 29 to 32. נְתִינִים see גִּבְעֹנִים עַמּוֹן This Transjordanian nation is situated in between the Kinneret and the Dead Seas. According to a description in בראשית יט , עמון is founded by בֶּן עַמִּי , the son of לוט and an unnamed daughter of his. Since the Ammonites are descended from אברהם 's nephew, God allows them to keep their land, forbidding Israel from conquering it (דברים ב :יט ). עמון on the other hand is not equally considerate to their Israelite cousins, and when the Hebrews pass near עמון territory on their desert march, they will not provide them with bread and water. This lack of hospitality is the cause of a ban on converts from עמון (דברים כג :ד -ז ). This law is raised by נחמיה when he takes action against טוֹבִיָּה הָעֶבֶד הָעַמֹּנִי who has been given lodging in the בית המקדש (נחמיה יג :א -ט ). Once settled in their land, Israel is attracted to the gods of עמון , מואב and other Canaanite peoples. God allows עמון to oppress Israel for 18 years. The Jews cry to God, who sends יִפְתָּח הַגִּלְעָדִי to lead a successful military campaign against עמון . The encounter between יפתח and עמון is unusual for the tactics the Jewish general employs before he attacks the enemy. יפתח makes a diplomatic effort to reason with עמון , presenting historical, logical and religious arguments on behalf of Israel's right to the land. When יפתח is rebuffed by עמון he defeats them handily (שופטים י -יא ). The next battle between עמון and ישראל is also instigated by the Ammonites, this time by King נָחָשׁ . נחש attacks the people of יבש גלעד in שבט מנשה , and threatens to blind the population as a sign of their submission. שאול , newly-crowned as Israel's first king, comes to the rescue. He assembles an army of 330,000 soldiers and defeats עמון (שמואל א יא ). נחש 's son חָנוּן rules after him, and provokes דוד into a war (שמואל ב י ). Another son, שֹׁבִי , assists דוד during אבשלום 's insurrection, by providing him with food and supplies (שמואל ב יז :כז -כט ). דוד המלך subjugates עמון under the leadership of his general, יואב (שמואל ביב :כו -לא ). The next king, שלמה , has wives from עמון who lead him astray, introducing him to the worship of מִלְכֹּם , a god of עמון (מלכים א יא :א -ח ). One of שלמה 's Ammonite wives, נַעֲמָה , gives birth to רחבעם , who inherits the throne (מלכים א יד :כא ). עמון is later dominated by עֲזַרְיָה (יהודה 's 10th king) and pays tribute to him (דברי הימים ב כו :ח ). Bands of marauders who attack יהודה under King יְהוֹיָקִים (monarch #18), include soldiers from עמון (מלכים ב כד :ב -ד ). Following the fall of ירושלים , בבל installs גדליהו as governor of the state. An Ammonite king named בַּעֲלִיס , sends an assassin to kill this last ruler of Judah (ירמיה מ :יג -טז ). Israel's prophets predict that עמון will fall when God brings judgement to the world: ירמיהו discusses עמון in 25:21 and 49:1-6 of his book; יחזקאל in 25:1-7 of his; chapter 1:13-15 in עמוס mentions this nation; as does 2:8-11 in צפניה . עֲמָלֵק is the most reviled nation in Israel's past, for they are believed to epitomize evil in the world. The name עמלק first appears in תנ "ך as the son of אליפז , son of עשו . The people thus descended from עמלק are actually cousins of Israel in a way similar to the populations of אדום , עמון and מואב . And yet, the תורה suggests no sympathy for this people in the way that it encourages congeniality with these other nations. Quite the contrary: Israel is commanded to destroy the nation of עמלק , suggesting that God's rule will be incomplete as long as עמלק exists in this world (see רש "י to שמות יז :טז ). Israel's enmity towards עמלק stems from the first encounter with them in the desert, shortly after Israel's escape from Egypt. עמלק attacks from the rear, taking advantage of Israel's weak and tired stragglers (דברים כה :יח ). During the defensive war fought against them, משה sits on a mountain with his arms raised skyward, while יהושע fights and bests the enemy. Following the victory, God declares עמלק an eternal enemy of His, and vows to wipe them from the face of the earth (שמות יז :ח -טז ). In a passage known as "פָּרָשַׁת זָכוֹר " Israel is commanded to remember what עמלק did to Israel, and to destroy any remembrance of this people (דברים כה :יז -יט ). In a follow-up battle after the debacle of the spies, עמלק inflicts losses on Israel (במדבר יד :לט -מה ). עמלק seems unaffected by the conquests of יהושע , but reenters Israelite life as allies of Israel's enemies: עגלון , king of מואב (שופטים ג :יג ) and מדין (שופטים ו :ג ,ז :יב ). Israel's first king, שאול , is the first Jewish leader since יהושע to directly engage עמלק in battle. שאול fights עמלק as part of his early campaigns to secure his kingdom (שמואל א יד :מח ), but later turns to this nation with greater intensity of purpose. Acting on a communication from God, the prophet שמואל commands the king to destory עמלק . שאול 's failure to obliterate this nation is the cause of his downfall (שמואל א טו ). דוד also fights עמלק after they ransack his stronghold at צִקְלַג taking the women and children captive (שמואל א ל ). Descendants of שמעון בן יעקב are credited with destroying a remnant of עמלק (דברי הימים א ה :מב -מג ). מגילת אסתר is widely seen as a struggle of the Jews against עמלק , even though the nation is not explicitly mentioned in the book. המן , the villain of the book is called הָמָן הָאֲגָגִי , and this is taken to mean that he descends from King אֲגַג (מסכת מגילה יג .). פְּלֶשֶׁת The territory of the פְּלִשְׁתִּים lies on the southern coast of the Land of Israel, yet these people often attempt to move inland - to the north and east - and continually challenge Israelite ownership of the land. The פלשתים are of Aegean origin and are believed to have come from the island of כַּפְתּוֹר - Crete (ירמיה מז :ד ,עמוס ט :ז ). The first Jewish leader to encounter פלשתים is אברהם , although it is likely that the connection between the פלשתים in ספר בראשית and those in later books, is geographic rather than ethnic. אברהם settles in גרר where his wife שרה is temporarily abducted by King אבימלך (בראשית כ ). אבימלך and his general פִּיכֹל later sign a pact with אברהם (בראשית כא :כב -כד ). יצחק too dwells in פלשתי territory, and his wife also attracts the attention of King אבימלך . יצחק 's servants have a run-in with פלשתי shepherds, but eventually he and אבימלך come to an agreement (בראשית כו ). The פלשתים live in five principal towns which form an amphictyony: עַזָּה (today called Gaza), אַשְׁדּוֹד , אַשְׁקְלוֹן , גַּת and עֶקרוֹן . The text reports that יהושע does not conquer these cities (יהושע יג :א -ג ). Israel comes into conflict with the פלשתים in the era of the שופטים . שַׁמְגַּר בֶּן עֲנָת is the first to fight them, and he kills 600 פלשתים with a ploughing tool (שופטים ג :לא ), an act which foreshadows the tactics of שמגר 's colleague, שִׁמְשׁוֹן . The פלשתים join עמון as God's agents in punishing בני ישראל , when the Israelites worship the gods of those nations (שופטים י :ז ). The most formidable Jewish opponent the פלשתים face is שמשון , the warrior from שבט דן . Even before his mother conceives, שמשון is destined to rescue Israel from the פלשתים (שופטים יג :ה ). שמשון kills thousands of פלשתים singlehandedly, but the enemy manages to trap him by bribing his wife, דְּלִילָה (שופטים יד -טו ). During the שמשון tales, the פשלתים are referred to as עֲרֵלִים - uncircumcised ones (שופטים יד :ג ,טו :יח ). They are subsequently called ערלים by יונתן (שמואל א יד :ו ), דוד (שמואל א יז :כו ,לו ,שמואל ב א :כ ) and שאול (שמואל א לא :ד ). It is possible that the emphasis on this feature of the פלשתים is a reflection of the religious dimension of Israel's conflict with this nation: Israel has a covenant with God, but the פלשתים are totally excluded from this relationship. For their part, the פלשתים view their war with Israel as a struggle between the God of Israel, and their god, דָּגוֹן : when they capture שמשון they bring him to the temple of דגון where they celebrate שמשון 's defeat (שופטים טז :כג -כה ); and when they take possession of the ארון האלקים they place it in a position of submission under a statue of this god (שמואל א ה :א -ה ). The פלשתים are Israel's most persistent enemy during the early period of the monarchy (שמואל א יג ,כג :א ,כג :כז -כח ). שאול and יונתן both score victories against this nation (שמואל א יד ) although the king does not manage to secure an end to the פלשתי threat (שמואל א יד :מו ,נב ). The most dramatic confrontation between Israel and the Philistines is told in שמואל א יז , which details an example of single representative combat fighting. The פלשתים send their giant warrior גָּלְיָת to the battlefield, challenging Israel to offer a soldier to meet him man-to-man. This will settle their conflict once and for all. דוד accepts the task and swiftly dispatches the giant with a stone to the head. Israel then routs the פלשתי army. Oddly, the פלשתים seem to bear no ill will towards דוד (for that episode or for דוד 's other escapades against them – שמואל א יח :כה -כז ,כג :א -ה ), since years later they allow him and his men to form a colony in their midst (שמואל א כז ,כט . דוד 's freedom of movement at this time might be a sign of his strength incontrast to a weakened condition of the פלשתים ). שאול 's final battle against the פלשתים is a fatal one. In a war against his old foes, he knows that all is lost and commits suicide. The פלשתים discover his body and decapitate it, hanging שאול and the corpses of his three sons on the city's walls (שמואל א לא ). As king, דוד continues to fight פלשתים (שמואל ב ה :יז -כה ,דברי הימים א יח :א ). His descendant יהושפט (king #4 of יהודה ) subjugates them (דברי הימים ב יז :יא ), but יהושפט 's son יהורם who rebels against God, is hounded by the פלשתים (דברי הימים ב כא :טז -יז ). King עזריה (יהודה 's tenth monarch) fights and defeats the פלשתים with the assistance of the Lord (דברי הימים ב כו :ו -ז ). אחז (king #12), who is sinful, loses territory to them (דברי הימים ב כח :יח ), but his son, חזקיהו , who is righteous, defeats them soundly (מלכים ב יח :ח ). The פלשתים will find retribution for their crimes in the future according to Israel's prophets: ישעיהו (14:28-32), ירמיהו (25:20, 47), יחזקאל (25:15-17), עמוס (1:6-8) and צפניה (2:4-7). The earliest known usage of the name "Palestine" to refer to the Land of Israel, is in the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BCE). The Roman Emperor Hadrian imposed the name Palestine on the land, in the first century CE, in an effort to supplant the name Judea. This name for the land of Israel was used by some Jewish and non-Jewish speakers and writers until the establishment of the modern state of Israel. For example, the headline "State of Israel is Born" appeared in the May 16th, 1948 edition of "The Palestine Post". The newspaper changed its name to The Jerusalem Post in 1950. The name Palestine is still used today in the Arabs' war against Israel. פְּרִזִּי A nation living in כנען , whose land is promised to אברהם during בְּרִית בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים (בראשית טו :כ ). משה too, is told by God at the start of his mission that He will bring Israel to the land currently occupied by the פרזי (שמות ג :ח ) promising to drive them out to make room for בני ישראל (שמות לג :ב ,לד :יא ). The פרזי are on the list of seven nations whom Israel is commanded to vanquish upon the conquest of their land (דברים ז :א -ב ). The text reports that יהושע fights and defeats the פרזי (יהושע יא :ג ,יב :ח ), as does שבט יהודה following יהושע 's death (שופטים א :ד -ה ). Remnants of the פרזי are subjugated by שלמה (מלכים א ט :כ -כא ). פָּרַס This nation is the last empire standing at the end of the Bible. Having conquered בבל , the previous world power, פרס brings hope to Israel as its kings allow the Jews to return to their land, and to rebuild ירושלים and the בית המקדש . כּוֹרֶשׂ is the king of Persia who conquers בבל , and in the first year of his reign, כורש issues a proclamation allowing the Jews, exiled to Babylon, to return to יהודה and rebuild the Temple. To prove his sincerity, כורש presents the Jewish community with the precious utensils that נבוכדנאצר had stolen from the בית המקדש . Some Jews do decide to return to Israel and a group sets out led by שֵׁשְׁבַּצַּר (עזרא א ) and זְרֻבָּבֶל בֶּן שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל (עזרא א -ב ) (these two might be the same individual). The Second Temple is completed some twenty years later. King דָּרְיָוֶשׁ rules during the reconstruction of the Temple and restoration of Jewish life in יהודה . He reaffirms the right of the Jews to rebuild their state and contributes supplies to the effort (עזרא ה -ו ). Another Persian king named דריוש employs דניאל as a minister. It is during this king's rule that דניאל survives a night in the lions' den (דניאל ו ). Non-Jewish residents in Israel appeal to the Jews to join in the reconstruction efforts of ירושלים , but when they are rebuffed, they succeed in convincing King אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתָּא that the Jews' project is a threat to his dominion over the land. Building is temporarily halted (עזרא ד :ז -כד ). This same king permits his employee נחמיה to assist in rejvenating Judea (נחמיה ב ). The final Persian king mentioned in תנ "ך is אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ . This monarch presides over a vast empire. He is duped by his prime minister, המן , into permitting the extermination of the kingdom's Jews. אחשורוש 's Jewish queen, אסתר , encouraged by her cousin מרדכי , manages to turn the tables on המן and the Jews are rescued (אסתר ). צִידוֹן and צֹר Two port cities in present day Lebanon. The people of this region provide שלמה with cedar and cypress trees for the First Temple (מלכים א ה ), and sell timber to the returning exiles for construction of the Second Temple (עזרא ג :ז ). חִירָם , king of צר is an ally of שלמה . He sends an artisan of his named חִירָם to work on the utensils for the בית המקדש (מלכים א ז ). שלמה presents the king with cities in the גליל (מלכים א ט :י -יד ). אחאב 's wife איזבל is from the state of צידון . Chapter 27 in the prophecies of יחזקאל contains a parable of צר as a ship. This prosperous nation plies its goods on the seas, yet will be shipwrecked and sunk by a storm. (יחזקאל also discusses צר and צידון in chapters 26 and 28.) Other prophets also speak about the eventual judgement of these city states: ישעיהו (chapter 23), ירמיהו (25:22 and 47:4) and עמוס (1:9-10). קַדְמֹנִי A nation living in כנען , whose land is promised to אברהם during בְּרִית בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים (בראשית טו :יט ). קֵינִי A nation living in כנען whose land is promised to אברהם during בְּרִית בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים (בראשית טו :יט ). יתרו , father-in-law of משה who hails from מדין is also identified as a קיני . His descendants enter Israel and settle in the desert area of שבט יהודה (שופטים א :טז ). An individual named חֶבֶר הַקֵּינִי is an ally of the Canannite king, יָבִין . Still, חבר 's wife, יעל , assists Israel when she kills יבין 's general, סיסרא (שופטים ד :יא -כא ). Before שאול fights עמלק he warns the קיני to get out of harm's way. שאול explains that he is thankful for the kindness shown to his ancestors by the קיני when Israel left Egypt. This presumably refers to יתרו 's assistance to משה in the desert (שמואל א טו :ו ). קְנִזִּי A nation living in כנען , whose land is promised to אברהם during בְּרִית בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים (בראשית טו :יט ). כָּלֵב בֶּן יְפוּנֶה is sometimes called הַקְּנִזִּי (במדבר לב :יב ,יהושע יד :ו ,יד :יד ), suggesting some connection between this leader from שבט יהודה and the קנזי . רְפָאִים A nation living in כנען , whose land is promised to אברהם during בְּרִית בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים (בראשית טו :כ ). The Torah first mentions the רפאים in the war recorded in בראשית יד . These people seem to be caught in the middle of the conflict between the five kings and the four. The רפאים are described as giants (דברים ב :יא ), and עוג is a member of this group (דברים ג :יא ), suggesting that the רפאים are a subset of the אמרי . דוד 's warriors fight giants descended from this race (שמואל ב כא :טו -כב ). The name זַמְזֻמִּים is the Amonite word for רפאים (דברים ב :כ ), but if the זוּזִים are the same as the זמזמים (as suggested byרש "י to בראשית יד :ה ), then the זוזים - זמזמים (who are listed separately in בראשית יד :ה ) would appear to be a group within the רפאים . This map shows the approximate locations of the nations described in this section. The peoples populating the western part of the land are not included. This space is filled instead with prominent cities of Biblical Israel. 
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